Duct for amphibian vehicle

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a duct for amphibian vehicle which is characterized by providing the fixed air-suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe on the engine room of the vehicle in such a manner that said fixed air suction pipe and the fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe can be projected out; rotatably connecting, water tightly, the duct on the outer peripheries of said fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe; and providing movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe within said duct; and rotatably connecting said fixed and movable air suction pipes and said fixed and movable waste gas exhaustion pipes.

United States Patent Muraki et a1.

[151 3,680,521 1 Aug. 1,1972

[54] DUCT FOR AMPHIBIAN VEHICLE [72] Inventors: Kiichi Muraki, Hirakata; Tadashi [21] Appl. No; 137,341

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 2,390,557 12/1945 Scaife ..1l5/1RX 2,429,732 10/1947 Roos ..123/1 2,514,488 7/1950 Hale et a1. ..115/1 R 3,283,498 11/1966 Connell ..1 15/1 RX Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Gregory W. O'Connor Attorney-James E. Armstrong and Ronald S. Cornell [57] ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a duct for amphibian vehicle which is characterized by providing the fixed air-suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe on the engine room of the vehicle in such a manner that said fixed air suction pipe and the fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe can be projected out; rotatably connecting, water tightly, the duct on the outer peripheries of said fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe; and providing movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe within said duct; and rotatably connecting said fixed and movable air suction pipes and said fixed and movable waste gas exhaustion pipes.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures DUCT FOR AMPI-HBIAN VEIHCILE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a duct as the conduit path for feeding fresh air and removing waste gas to be provided on the amphibian vehicle capable of operating under water or on ground.

Generally speaking, an amphibian vehicle has air suction duct and waste gas exhaustion duct for the engine, erected on the upper portion of the engine room in order to easily and quickly carry out the under-water and ground operation, and when under-water operation is carried out the end of said duct is projected out above the water level, and when ground operation is carried out, said duct remains erect-fixed.

However, when under-water operation or ground operation is carried out while keeping the duct erected on the upper portion of the engine room, there is a limitation on the length of the duct. In other words, the under-water operation is carried out at the water depth of 3 to m, when the length of the duct is from 3 to 5 m, and therefore there is no trouble even when the under-water operation should be carried out while the duct is erected on the upper portion of the engine room, but when the under-water operation is desired to be carried out at the water depth above 6 m, the length of the duct must be above 6 m, and it is impossible to carry out the ground operation with such a long duct erected on the upper portion of the engine room, when the strength of the duct and stability of the vehicle are taken into consideration.

Therefore, the under-water operation cannot be carried out on a deep water bottom by the conventional amphibian vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to provide the duct for amphibian vehicle capable of carrying out the under-water operation on a deep water bottom and at the same time capable of carrying out stable ground operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the duct for amphibian vehicle capable of effectively bringing up and down the duct by means of mechanical strength. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide the duct for amphibian vehicle capable of retaining the duct stably both when the duct is erected or when it is put down.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the duct for amphibian vehicle capable of excellently carrying out under-water operation on a deep water bottom.

The duct for the amphibian vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe having connecting portions on the upper portions thereof are provided on the engine room in such a manner that said air-suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe can be projected outward, and the duct is rotatably and water-tightly connected onto the respective outer peripheries of said air suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe, and the joint portions of the movable air suction pipe and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe contained in said duct are rotatably connected to the joint portions of the fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 are the diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the side view of the whole embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the cross sectional view across the II--II line of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the front view across III-III line of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and is the similar cross sectional view as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are the diagrams showing another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the side view of the whole embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the cross sectional view across VIVI line of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are the diagrams showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cross sectional view across VIII- VIII line of FIG. 7.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION The embodiments of the present invention are explained in the following paragraphs in accordance with the attached diagrams.

FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 are the diagrams showing an embodiment of this invention, and in the diagrams, l is the engine room of the vehicle A.

2 and 3 are the fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe respectively fixed on the upper surface of said engine room 1 by means of the bolts 4,5, and said air suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe are connected to the manifold of said engine.

The upper portions of said air suction pipe 2 and the waste gas exhaustion pipe 3 are rectangularly bent, and the bent ends thereof have the joint portions 2a and 3a of the same diameter.

The cylindrical joint portion of the duct 6 is engaged against the outer peripheral portions of said connecting portions 211, 3a, and on the inner surfaces of both end portions of said cylindrical joint portion 7, the ring form seal grooves 8 are formed.

The seal-rings 9 are inserted into said seal-grooves 8 and said seal-rings 9 are contacted against the outer peripheral surfaces of said air suction pipe 2 and waste gas exhaustion pipe 3.

The movable air suction pipe 10 and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 are contained within said duct 6, and the lower portions of the movable air suction pipe 10 and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 are respectively rectangularly bent, and the joint portions 10a and 1 la are formed on said bent ends.

Said joint portion 10a is inserted into said joint portion 2a, and the joint portion 11a is inserted into said joint portion 3a.

The seal grooves 12, 13 are respectively formed on the outer peripheral surface of the respective joint portions 10a and 11a, and the seal rings l4, 15 are inserted into said seal-grooves 12, 13, and said seal-rings l4, 15 are contacted against the inner peripheral surfaces of said joint portions 2a, 3a.

The sprockets 16, 17 are fixed on the outer peripheries on both end portions of said cylindrical joint portion 7, and the idlers 19, 19 are supported on the upper surface of said engine room 1 through the supporter 18,

and the chain 20 is spanned over said sprockets 16, 17 and the idlers 19, 19.

The bracket 21 is provided on the upper surface of the engine room 1, and the base end portion of the hydraulic cylinder 22 is connected to said brackets 21, and the rod 23 of said hydraulic cylinder 22 is connected to said chain 20.

The engaging tool 24 is provided on the upper portion of said duct 6, and the engaging tool 25 is provided on the upper portion of said engine room 1, and both ends of the supporting rod 27 having turn buckle 26 are removably engaged on the two engaging tools 24, 25.

The duct supporter 28 whose upper portion is shaped in U letter form is erected on the rear portion of the vehicle A. Therefore, when the operation is switched from the under-water operation into the ground operation, the supporting rod 27 engaged against said engaging tools 24, 25 is released, and the rod 23 is driven forward by operating the hydraulic cylinder 22, and the sprockets 16, 17 are driven by means of the chain 20, and the duct 6 is put down behind, and the upper portion of the duct 6 is supported with the duct supporter 28.

I Said duct 6 is put down by the rotation of the cylindrical joint portion 7 of said duct 6 on the outer peripheries of the joint portions 2a, 3a of the fixed air suction pipe 2 and the fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe 3 through the seal ring 9 and by the rotation of the lower portion of the movable air suction pipe 10, and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 on the inner peripheries of the joint portions 2a, 3a through the seal rings 14, 15.

When the operation is switched from the ground operation to the under water operation, the rod 23 is retreated by operating the hydraulic cylinder 22, to erect the put down duct 6 and by retaining the erection of the duct 6 by engaging the supporting rod 27 against the engaging tools 24, 25.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the movable air suction pipe and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe, and in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the movable air suction pipe 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 is omitted, and the waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 is placed in the central portion of the duct 6, and the space between the outer periphery of the waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 and the duct 6 is used as the air suction pipe 10,.

The effect and features of the embodiment of FIG. 4 are the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3.

FIG. and FIG. 6 are the diagrams showing another embodiment of the present invention, and the bracket 29 is projected on the upper surface of the engine room 3, and the base end of the hydraulic cylinder 30 is movably provided on said bracket 29 by means of the shift 31, and the rod 32 of the hydraulic cylinder 30 is pivotted on the duct 6 by means of the shaft 33.

The connection of the fixed air suction pipe 2 and the fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe 3, the duct 6 the movable air suction pipe and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe 1 l as is shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the connection of the embodiment removed of the sprockets 16, 17 shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3.

Therefore, when the rod 32 of the hydraulic cylinder 30 is put in and out, the duct 6 can be put up and down.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are the diagrams showing the embodiment of the duct to be used when the depth of the water bottom is more than 10 m, and in the embodiment, the lower end portion of the flexible tube 34 is connected water tightly to the upper end of the duct 16 by means of the band 35, and the upper end portion of the flexible tube 34 is water tightly connected to the joint portion of the duct at the'lower portion of the float 36.

The flexible tube 37 for air suction and the flexible tube 38 for waste gas exhaustion are contained in the above mentioned flexible tube 34, and the lower end portions of the respective flexible tubes 37 and 38 are connected to the upper ends of the movable air suction pipe 10 and the movable waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 by means of the bands 39, 40, and the upper end portions of the respective flexible tubes 37, 38 are connected to the air suction pipe 41 and the waste gas exhaustion pipe 42 provided on said float 36.

Therefore, when under-water operation is carried out, the air suction pipe 41 and the waste gas exhaustion pipe 42 are always placed above the water level by means of said float 36, and the movable duct 6, air suction pipe 10 and waste gas exhaustion pipe 11 change the tilting angles thereof in accordance with the water level.

Thus, in accordance with the movement of the vehicle A, the movable duct 6 is rotated by the supporter thereof as the fulcrum, to be tilted, and thereafter, the float 36 becomes operable.

Thus, the following will be clarified from the above given descriptions.

In accordance with the duct of the present invention for amphibian vehicles, it is possible to carry out operations by rotating the duct, and therefore it is possible to improve the operability, and at the same time, it is possible to provide a long duct on the vehicle, and therefore the range of the operations of the vehicles can be increased.

In addition, the float can be transferred through the flexible tube after having rotated the duct along with the movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe in accordance with the movement of the vehicles, and then therefore there is no fear that the float should be turned round by the movement of the vehicles, and the underwater operation can be smoothly carried out.

The present invention can be variously modified unless it goes against the spirit of the present invention, as defined in the scope of claim for patent.

What we claim is:

1. A duct for amphibian vehicle comprising engine room; fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe having joint portions on the upper end portions thereof, fixed on said engine room; the duct water tightly and rotatably mounted on the outer peripheries of said air suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe; and movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe contained in said duct and rotatably connected to the joint portions of said fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe.

2. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein mechanism for rotating the duct is provided.

5. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein mechanism for rotating the duct, and the mechanism for retaining the duct in a predetermined state, are provided.

6. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein a hydraulic cylinder is provided between the duct and the engine room.

a: i: a: at 

1. A duct for amphibian vehicle comprising engine room; fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe having joint portions on the upper end portions thereof, fixed on said engine room; the duct water tightly and rotatably mounted on the outer peripheries of said air suction pipe and waste gas exhaustion pipe; and movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe contained in said duct and rotatably connected to the joint portions of said fixed air suction pipe and fixed waste gas exhaustion pipe.
 2. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein mechanism for rotating the duct is provided.
 3. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein mechanism for retaining the duct in a predetermined state, is provided.
 4. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein flexible tube one end thereof being connected to the duct; flexible tubes one end of which is connected to the movable air suction pipe and movable waste gas exhaustion pipe; and a float connected to the other ends of the respective flexible tubes are provided.
 5. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein mechanism for rotating the duct, and the mechanism for retaining the duct in a predetermined state, are provided.
 6. A duct for amphibian vehicle according to claim 1 wherein a hydraulic cylinder is provided between the duct and the engine room. 